To the Caribbean and Back
by Dunedain ranger of the north
Summary: Josh is a regular 18 year old who, along with his dog, are sailing in the Bahamas, when a fierce storm strikes and the Gaang appears in our world! Will Josh be able to help them get back? or will he find love with a Waterbender? Adventure Ho!
1. Adventure Begins

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender, only my OC, Joshua Harris. If you people haven't noticed, I use him a lot in my stories.**

**--==--**

**The Adventure Begins**

_January, 2010, off the coast of the Island of Abaco, The Bahamas…_

The bright sun was high in the sky, partially obscured by the clouds, as its light sparkled on the tops of the waves as the rocked the sailboat sitting at anchor a few miles from the shore. The twin-hulled boat rose and fell with each wave, causing the single mast to tilt slowly from side to side. The stars and stripes fluttered in the wind at the very top.

Steel drum music could be heard playing faintly over the sounds of the wind rustling the rolled up sails and the creaking of the boat as it moved with the waves. A boy, looking to be about eighteen, lay reclining in a folding beach chair while resting his bare feet on the boat rail. He wore a baggy white t-shirt, with a surfing logo, and a pair of blue swimming trunks.

His skin was tanned from the tropical sun and he had a slightly built body. A dark green bucket hat rested over his face exposing short brown hair as the sound of light snoring could be heard from underneath. A fishing pole, sitting in its holder, made a creaking noise as the line jerked. The snoring stopped, the boy, now awake, listened from under his hat. The line jerked again and then the pole bent hard.

The boy leapt from his chair, pushing the hat back on his head, revealing hazel eyes and a smirking mouth surrounded by a goatee. He grabbed the pole and pulled with all his strength, smiling at the weight on the end of the line. As he began reeling it in he smiled down at the dog, dozing at his feet.

"I think I got a big one this time, Katie girl! We are eating good tonight!" he said excitedly.

Katie, a two-year-old Golden retriever, lazily opened an eye and looked up at her loving owner and friend, wagging her tail slowly. The boy smiled again as he continued to pull in his catch, it fought him for every inch he reeled in. Soon a red blob could be seen weaving back and forth under the waves, getting closer and closer to the boat.

Finally, with a few more reels, a good sized red grouper, lay flailing on the deck. The boy quickly grabbed a yellow rope and expertly hooked it through the mouth and gills, then he pulled the hook out and placed the now still fish in the cooler beside his chair. The boy yanked his hat from his head and waved it wildly about and he did a small dance.

"Oh yeah! Whose the man? Whose the man? Josh is! That's right!" he yelled out, Katie barking as she wagged her tail happily, following him with her head.

Josh Harris stopped dancing and kneeled by his dog and scratched her behind the ear. He laughed as she leaned into his hand, tongue lolled out and panting happily.

"We did good today, Katie, we sure did," he said in a low voice.

Katie nuzzled his chest, causing him to chuckle as he rubbed her head. Josh rose and was about to pick up the pole when the music stopped playing replaced by a man's voice.

"_This is your local broad casting service, from the Island of Abaco, with your daily weather report: Today at 1:30pm, a thunderstorm warning has been issued for The Bahamas and the surrounding water. Be advised: heavy rain, tropical storm powered winds up to 50mph, and lightning are expected to occur. It is recommended that all boats and ships head for the nearest port, again, it is recom…_"

Josh tuned out the rest of the broadcast and looked up at the sky. He could see thick dark clouds off in the east slowly getting bigger. He quickly picked the pole up and grabbed the chair. He ran to the open cabin door and threw them inside, then sprinted back toward the cooler.

"C'mon, Kate! We gotta get going!" he called to the dog.

Katie looked at her owner and feeling his nervousness, barked as she ran to his side. After Josh carefully placed the cooler with his latest catch inside the cabin, he quickly ran out on deck toward the wheel. The Wheel was situated under a canvas awning and was surrounded by a 'U' shaped leather bench seat. Josh pushed the button to raise the anchor and then pulled out his key. Now even though it was a sailboat, it also had two motors that could be used if there was no wind, as soon as Josh reached the wheel, he plugged in the boat key and started them.

The motors rumbled to life as Josh pushed the throttle forward and the boat slowly began moving toward land. Josh looked up at the top of the mast and yelp as he saw his country's flag flapping in the increasing wind.

"Aw man! I forgot to take the flag down!"

Josh quickly ran to the mast, grabbed the rope and pulled the flag down. He unceremoniously threw it into his cabin; he would have taken the time to fold it carefully, if he had the time. The wind was quickly picking up and the waves, which had been calm before, became rough. The boat, named the _Shell_, rocked harder and faster with each foaming wave. Josh grabbed his glasses case from a compartment and put his glasses on.

He removed his hat and stuffed it back in the same place with the case. Josh returned to the wheel and turned it to starboard, heading for the safety of Little Harbor, on Abaco. The _Shell_ tore through the waves as its twin hulls bore through them like a drill on wood. The sky darkened as the storm clouds hid the sun, Josh quickly turned on his lights. Rain began pelting the boat as lightning flared and the thunder rumbled.

Katie looked up at her owner and whined fearfully. Josh glanced down at her and forced a smile.

"Its alright Katie, we are going to be fine!" he said calmly, though he wasn't feeling calm at the moment.

Waves splashed over the side of the boat, soaking everything with sea water, the wind howled as it battered the boat causing the lines to creak from the stress. Josh quickly wiped his glasses off and pushed the throttle forward some more, increasing his speed. The Island of Abaco, which had previously been obliterated by a wall of rain and mist, slowly came into view, the lights of the buildings shined like beacons through the raging storm.

Josh sighed as he began to turn toward shore, when there was a brilliant flash of lightning that shot from the clouds and impacted on the sea not but a few meters from the _Shell_. The following boom sent a shockwave that knocked Josh and Katie off their feet and paws. The _Shell_ shook and tilted hard to port as the waves slammed into its side. The boat stabilized itself as Josh got shakily to his feet, he checked himself over for injury and found none. He then looked to Katie and found the dog whimpering and shaking, but okay.

Josh grabbed the wheel and checked his boat. As he was doing that he realized something; the motors had stopped their noisy rumbling. He quickly looked at his gages and saw that the shockwave had knocked out the _Shell_'s power.

"Crap!" he shouted, he then turned to Katie, "What the heck was that, girl?"

Katie, in answer looked out from under the awning and began to bark excitedly. It was then that Josh also noticed the storm had strangely calmed down.

"That's strange," he murmured to himself.

Katie continued to bark excitedly.

"Katie, what are you barking at, you silly girl?" asked Josh as he strode across the deck toward the barking retriever.

Katie looked at him with a look that seemed to say, get-over-here-and-look, then she turned and began barking again. Josh chuckled and shook his head.

"I swear, Kate, that you act to human at times," he said to himself.

He stopped at her side and gazed out into the now light rain. What he saw made his eyes widen as he stared in shock. A strange big oval, leather, thing was floating on the waves and on it were four teens and a dog, all unconscious. As he stared Josh could only think to say one word that, to him, summed everything up.

"Huh!?"

--==--

_Katara screamed along with her friends as Appa twisted and turned through the stormy sky, dodging a lightning bolt here and there._

"_Aang!" cried Sokka, "We need to find a place to land and wait out the storm! Or we're never going to be able to make it to the firenation!"_

_Aang chanced a look down and the looked back at his three friends and one screeching lemur._

"_There's nowhere to land, Sokka! We're still over the Ocean!"_

_Another bolt of lightning flashed close to the flying bison, causing Appa to roar as he dove away from it. Toph screamed as she tightened her grip on the edge of the saddle and Sokka's arm._

"_YEOOW! Toph! I can't feel my arm!" the teen howled._

_Toph glared in the direction of his voice and yelled back._

"_Well, it's not my fault that I am blind and I can't see what's going on, so deal with it Snoozles!"_

_Katara ignored her brother and friend as she turned to Aang as he tried his best to control the frightened bison. The storm seemed to be growing as was he worry._

"_Aang, don't you at least think that we should fly lower, _away_, from these storm clouds?" A loud boom of thunder finished her question._

"_Yeah, Twinkletoes, anything would be better than up here!" Toph shouted over the storm._

_Aang looked a little worried as he hesitated to answer._

"_I don't know guys…"_

"_Aang, we are in danger of getting hit by lightning up here, more than down there!" Sokka called out as Appa dove again, "I mean, seriously what can happen?"_

_Aang sighed and nodded his head as his face then grew determined._

"_You guys are right, Appa! Yip yip!" with that, Appa let out another roar and dove toward the rough surface of the ocean._

_They leveled out about a good distance above the waves and continued on toward their destination. Sokka looked at Aang as he smiled._

"_See, like I said, nothing hap-"_

_Just as Sokka started saying those words, Katara looked up and saw a huge lightning bolt headed straight for them._

"_Guys, look out!" she shouted._

_But her warning came to late as they turned to look up just as the lightning struck Appa._

_ZZZZZAAAAAAAPPPPP!_

_Katara remembered hearing everyone scream, including herself, before her vision faded to black._

--==--

The first thing that Katara heard when she came to was a low rumbling sound that just wouldn't stop. The first thing she felt was a rolling motion, like she was on a boat, then she felt the softness of sheets under her. Katara groaned as she slowly sat up.

**BUMP**

Katara hissed in pain as her head came in contact with a low ceiling. She carefully opened her eyes as she leaned on one arm while rubbing her head with the other and looked at her surroundings. She was in a spacious room that had what looked like bunks on all three walls and a thick pole that reached from the floor to the roof, situated in the middle of the room.

She leaned out and saw that the source of light was a small rectangle shaped window on the ceiling and four round windows on the walls, two on each side. Confused, Katara slowly slid her feet out from under the blankets she was covered in and glanced down at her self. She was wearing a robe made of some soft material that was white. She stared at it in confusion until she heard a moan from the bunk on the other side of the room.

Katara looked and gasped when she saw that it was her brother who lay snoring in the bed. Katara glanced at the rest and found Toph and Aang also still asleep. Katara tried to push herself up so she could see if they were okay when pain stabbed through her chest causing her to yelp softly. She opened the robe to see what was wrong and found her chest wrapped in bandages. Now she was even more confused.

'_I don't get it, we were out in the middle of the ocean when the bolt struck! Where are we? Who saved us and why?_' she thought to herself.

That was when Katara heard a strange sound she had never heard before. She looked around the room, but couldn't find the source. Katara listened to it carefully and then turned to the door that lead into the next room, it was partially opened. Katara carefully stood up, wincing as her chest burned with pain. She softly and quietly walked toward the door, listening as the strange sound now turned into music and someone singing.

When Katara reached the door, she heard a soft scraping sound and a clang here and there. Very carefully she leaned toward the door and pushed it opened a bit more.

**CREAK!**

Katara froze and the door stopped making noise, but it seemed that the person on the other side hadn't heard it, because they were still playing that strange music and singing. She push again, this time slower and then peeked out, only to be met with the strangest sight of her life. The room beyond wasn't strange, in fact, it looked like a normal dinning area and kitchen. What was strange was where the music and singing was coming from.

On a shelf hanging above an open doorway that lead to outside, was a black box with symbols and words on it, as well as blinking lights, _wait, blinking lights?_

Katara stared at the strange box as she listened to the even stranger song that came out of it:

"_I got my toes in the water, toes in the sand_

_Not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand_

_Life is good today. Life is good today._

_Well, the plane touched down just about 3 o'clock_

_And the city's still on my mind_

_Bikinis and palm trees danced in my head_

_I was still in the baggage line_

_Concrete and cars are their own prison bars like this life I'm living in_

_But the plane brought me farther._

_I'm surrounded by water_

_And I'm not going back again_

_I got my toes in the water, toes in the sand_

_Not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand_

_Life is good today. Life is good today._

_Adios and vaya con dios_

_Yeah I'm leaving GA_

_And if it weren't for tequila and pretty senoritas_

_I'd have no reason to stay_

_Adios and vaya con dios_

_Yeah I'm leaving GA_

_Gonna lay in the hot sun and roll a big fat one_

_And grab my guitar and play"_

Katara's eyes had by now moved to the person who was standing by the…oven, cooking food and dancing to the music, even singing along.

"_Four days flew by like a drunk Friday night as the summer drew to an end_

_They can't believe that I just couldn't leave_

_And I bid adieu to my friends_

_Cause my bartender she's from the islands_

_Her body's been kissed by the sun_

_And coconut replaces the smell of the bar and I don't know if it's her or the rum_

_I got my toes in the water, toes in the sand_

_Not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand_

_Life is good today. Life is good today._

_Adios and vaya con dios_

_A long way from GA_

_Yeah, and all the muchachas they call me "Big poppa" when I throw pesos their way_

_Adios and vaya con dios_

_A long way from GA_

_Someone do me a favor and pour me some Jager_

_I'll grab my guitar and play"_

The boy, at least he looked like a boy, was just a bit taller than her with a slight build to his body. He was wearing a strange sleeveless shirt with a symbol on it and some type of blue shorts. On his feet he wore something that reminded her of boards with string. On his head he wore a funny looking hat over short brown hair, his eyes which were hazel, were staring at the cooking pan in front of him. A goatee surrounded his mouth as he continued to sing.

"_Adios and vaya con dios_

_Going home now to stay_

_The senoritas don't care-o when there's no dinero_

_I got no money to stay_

_Adios and vaya con dios_

_Going home now to stay_

_I'm just gunna prop up by the lake_

_I've got my but in a lawn chair_

_Toes in the clay_

_Nat a worry in the world a PBR on the way_

_Life is good today. Life is good today."_

And the box stopped playing the strange song, just as Katara felt something cold and wet touch her hand.

"AHHH!"

The boy jumped at her scream and dropped the wooden spoon in his hand onto the floor, as he turned to face her. Katara and boy met each others eyes for a second, causing Katara to lose her breath for some reason, when he looked down.

"Katie, come here, girl! You scared the living day lights out of her!" he smiled down at, what Katara could now see was a golden furred dog.

'Katie' turned to look at the boy and then back at Katara, who was by now staring at her with fear filled eyes. The dog whimpered and scooted closer to Katara. She closed her eyes.

'_Oh, no!_' Katara thought to herself.

She nearly jumped into the wall when she felt a tongue lick her hand. Katara opened her eyes and looked down at the dog that was tilting her head as if asking, why-are-you-afraid?

Katara looked up at the boy who was still looking at her with a smirk on his face, a pleasant smirk at that. She then reached a shaky hand toward 'Katie' and asked the question silently with her eyes. Almost as if he heard her, he smiled and nodded his head.

"Go ahead, you can pet her. Katie, loves meeting new people," The boy said in a friendly voice.

Katara couldn't help but return a small smile as she began to scratch the dog's head. Katie sighed as she leaned into the touch and began panting. Katara giggled as she continued with the other ear. When she looked up next, it was to see the boy holding the spoon he had dropped under a metal tube that was spraying water into a basin. She raised an eyebrow.

The boy looked back up at her and saw her looking confusedly at the sink. He raised an eyebrow and then shook his head, gaining the girl's attention.

"It's good to see you up and about after that storm," he said still smiling.

Katara just couldn't but to smile back.

"Yes it is, I guess. Thanks for helping me and my friends," She said back to him, causing his cheeks to redden as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"It was nothing, I just happened to have spotted you from my boat. Actually, its really Katie that deserves the credit! She was the one who spotted you first!" he said as he pointed at the dog.

Katara smiled as she rubbed Katie's head.

"Thank you," she said in a soft voice, earning a lick on her hand.

The boy chuckled as Katara giggled again. She then turned to look at him.

"How long have we been with you?" she asked.

The boy stopped what he was doing, set the spoon down and turned to face her with a serious expression on his face. Katara felt her smile slip away.

"You and your friends have been out for two days," he said softly, Katara gasped as the boy continued, "We found you all floating on a large…thing, all of you, including your dog and…I'm guessing a ferret were unconcious. All of you had burns in different places on your bodies, looked to me like you were struck by lightning.

"But, anyways," the boy said in a happier tone, "All that matters now is that at least one of you is awake and can explain to me why you were out on the ocean in the first place,' the boy paused and stuck out his hand to Katara, "Oh and by the way, names Joshua Harris, what's yours?"

Katara overwhelmed by the information she was just told could only shake Josh's hand numbly.

"Katara, my name is Katara," she said in a low voice.

Josh smiled as he shook her hand heartily, causing Katara to break out of her stupor.

"Well, Katara, let me welcome at least you aboard my boat, the _Shell_!"

**--==--**

**Well, there we go, the first chapter! What did you think? Like it? Hate it? Don't care? Please let me know! Review! Review!-Dune**


	2. Meeting the Gaang!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender, only my OC, Josh Harris.**

**--==--**

**Meeting the Gang**

Katara sat down at the small galley table as she looked around the galley. Josh went back to the stove and continued to cook breakfast.

"So this is a boat?" she asked.

Josh looked up from the fish and nodded his head.

"Yep, sure is!"

Katara looked back at him and frowned.

"It doesn't look like any boat I have ever seen," she said.

Josh looked at her for a second and then picked up the frying pan, placed it on a potholder. He then opened a cupboard and removed two plates.

"Fish?" he asked as he scooped a piece onto a plate and walked toward the table.

Katara smiled in thanks as he placed her plate down along with a fork and went back for his plate. Josh then took the seat across from her as she stared at the fork in confusion.

"How do you mean?" he asked as he took a bite.

"Well, most boats are only made of wood and don't have some of the…things you have. I mean what are some of these things?" Katara asked as she indicated the appliances.

Josh stared at Katara with a raised eyebrow as he swallowed his food.

"Boats haven't been made out of just plain wood for years, centuries even! And how do you not know what a stove, a microwave, a radio, and any other thing in here is?" he asked her.

Katara looked at him as if he was crazy.

"What?"

Josh leaned back in his chair as he stared at Katara in silence for a few minutes.

"Why don't you tell me how you and your friends ended up floating out in the Bermuda Triangle, the full story!" he said as he chewed on another piece of fish.

Katara sighed and placed her hands in her lap.

"Well, are you sure? It's a very long story…" she trailed off as Josh smiled at her.

"I'm all ears! Just start from the very beginning," he said to her in a calm tone.

Katie nudged her hand and whined in encouragement, causing Katara to giggle slightly and rub her head.

"It all started on the day that my brother and I went ice fishing…"

--==--

Toph slowly began to wake up, the first things she felt was the sheets of the bed she laid on, and the sounds of rumbling droning faintly in her ears. She turned on her side and felt pain stab through her chest, causing her to open her eyes. Light flashed into her vision and slowly faded to reveal a partially lit room. Toph looked around in a daze for a few seconds until her brain caught up with her actions.

Her eyes widened as she let out a loud scream.

Katara was just finishing the story when Toph's scream sounded from the bunkroom. Josh, who had his feet propped up on the table, yelped as he started and fell to the floor. Katie's ears jerked up and she let out a bark, which was answered by a deeper one, followed by a white dog with a white ferret on its back, as it ran in from outside.

Katara leapt to her feet and ran towards the door.

"Toph!"

Josh scrambled to his feet and followed her into the room and found it in chaos. The two boys, apparently Sokka and Aang, had woke up to the scream and fell from their beds. The girl who looked to be twelve, Toph, was sitting up in her bed, looking around at everything with fear, happines, and shock. And there was Katara, standing in the midst of it all, staring at Toph in shock.

"Well, that's one way to wake up!" said Josh as all eyes turned to him.

The younger boy, Aang, who appeared to be the same age as Toph, quickly threw up his arms and blasted a wave of air at the teen. Josh's eyes bulged as he was sent flying back into the galley with a crash.

"Aang! Why did you do that? He's helping us!" Katara shouted as she whirled on the young monk.

Aang looked at her and frowned.

"He could be trying to trick us Katara! He could be firenation!"

"He's not, Aang! He is doesn't even know what bending is!" Katara yelled back angrily.

Sokka let out a snort as he struggled to push himself up.

"Yeah, sure, everyone's heard of bending! I mean who has-?"

"I can see…"

Katara, Aang, and Sokka turned to Toph, who was still sitting on the bed staring at her hands as a tear slid down her cheek. She turned toward them and a smile appeared on her face.

"I can see you guys…"

No one said anything for a few moments, until they heard a groan from the galley. Katara felt like she could have slapped herself.

'_Spirits! I forgot about Josh!_'

She ran into the other room with the others behind her, to find the teen lying on the floor, spread eagle, amidst broken plates, pieces of fish and silver wear. And standing over him was Katie and the strange white dog as they licked the boy's face. Katara held in her laughter as her concern for her new friend rose up and she kneeled by his side.

"Josh, are you alright?" she asked hesitantly.

Josh opened an eye and glanced at her.

"I think so," he mumbled, he then lifted an arm and raised a finger, "Just answer me this one question, you were serious about that story you told me weren't you?"

Katara nodded, "Yes, everything I told you was true, including the bending."

Josh grunted as his mouth broke into a smile.

"Well, there's one thing that was proven true just now," Katara smiled at his joke as she helped the boy back to his feet.

Aang walked up to Josh with drooped shoulders and a sheepish smile as he held a hand out.

"Uh, yeah…sorry about that! I thought you were an enemy," he said sheepishly.

Josh laughed as he shook the younger boy's hand.

"No harm done my friend! All you did was shoot me into my kitchen, spill and break my plates, and hurt my back!" Josh rubbed his spine, "But no harm done at all! Names Josh!"

Aang smiled back happily, he liked this boy's attitude.

"I'm Aang!"

Josh nodded his head as he turned to the other two who were now looking at their surroundings in wonder. Katara cleared her throat, causing then to jump. Sokka stepped forward and introduced himself.

"I'm Sokka, Katara's older brother, and this is To-OW!" Sokka glared at Toph as she smirked at him.

"I can introduce myself, Snoozles," she said as she turned her blazing green eyes to Josh, "I'm Toph!"

Josh smiled and nodded to her as a snort came from his side. Everyone looked down at the dog that looked like a golden retriever, but with white fur and a strip of grey fur running along its back and ending in what looked like an arrow on his forehead.

"Appa?" asked Aang.

The tog barked and nodded his head, then indicated the small white ferret that was tilting its head at the small group. When they focused on him he let out a chirp.

"Momo?" gasped Sokka.

Momo chirped an affirmative. Katara stared at the two animals in confusion before she turned to face Aang.

"What happened to them?"

"I don't know, this is all strange to me, all I remember is getting Appa to fly lower when you shouted about something…" Aang paused as he then turned his attention to Josh, "You found us right?" Josh nodded, "Then, can you tell us exactly how you found us?"

Josh nodded his head as he picked his hat up off the floor.

"Sure, but why don't we take this outside, its warmer and I need to let the sails out anyways," said Josh as he lead them outside into a whole new world.

**--==--**

**Well, how was it? I know it was short but did you like it? I know that some of you are wondering why I made Toph able to see, but I won't tell you, you'll have to find out later in the story! Sorry! Please Review!-Dune**


	3. Island of Abaco

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA, I only own my OC, Josh Harris.**

**Only 2 reviews! C'mon guys I need some more, please!**

**--==--**

**The Island of Abaco**

Silence was all that could be heard, besides the rustling of the sails, on the deck of the _Shell, _as everyone sat staring at nothing. Josh had just finished telling them all that had happened and they were dumbstruck, except for one female Earthbender; Toph was to busy looking at her surroundings in awe. Josh looked up from his position at the wheel at his new friends and when he saw their expresions, he let out a sigh.

"Guys, come on now, its not that bad. I mean, its not like it's the end of the world or anything?" he froze when he saw everyone staring at him incredulously, "Or I can keep my mouth shut and just steer the boat."

It was Katara who broke the silence with a small laugh, causing Josh to break out into his usual smile. Katara blushed as she looked away from the smiling teen and cleared her throat.

"Guys, Josh is right," she said.

Sokka stared at his sister in shock.

"He's right! What do you mean he's right!? Katara, it is the end of the world! If we don't get back in time, Aang won't be able to stop the firelord!"

Katara turned to glare at her brother.

"Well, what do you expect us to do about it, Sokka!? We don't even know when we can get back! Are you suggesting that we wait for another storm and get struck by lightning again?" she shouted back.

"Yes!" Sokka yelled back.

"Can I say anything?" Josh asked in a low voice.

"No!" Sokka growled at Josh as he turned his attention toward the teen, "For all we know, everything that you have told us could be a lie! I'll bet your really a fire nation spy!"

Aang sighed and Katara rolled her eyes.

"Honestly Sokka, did you not see the stuff below deck? Its to advanced for anything the fire nation could build," she said.

Toph nodded her head, "Yeah, and Josh is not lying."

Sokka whirled to face the now, able-to-see, Earthbender, "How the heck can you even tell!? We're on a boat!"

Toph glared at him with her eyes filled with green fire.

"I can still feel vibrations on a boat and I can still tell even if I am not blind anymore, so back off Snoozeles!"

Sokka squeaked as he backed away from Toph. Aang snickered as he turned toward Josh, scratching Appa behind the ear while Momo squatted on his shoulder.

"So what do you think we should do Josh, I mean this is your boat?"

Josh scratched his chin as he took a seat beside Katara and wracked his brain. For a few minutes he sat there in silence.

"Well, from what Katara told me about the storm, it seemed like a hurricane. We get those around here in the months of August through November, and that's eight months away, so…" he trailed off.

Sokka's eye twitched as he plopped down onto his seat.

"So your saying that we are going to be stuck here for eight months, until its your Hurricane season or what ever, am I right?" Josh nodded his head, Sokka let out a sigh, "Oh good, now then…JUST WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO FOR EIGHT MONTHS!?"

"Sokka! You don't need to shout!" Katara said glaring at him again.

"I CAN SHOUT ALL I WANT WHEN I AM FREAKING OUT, AND RIGHT NOW, I'M FREAKING OUT!"

"Will you guys just SHUT UP!"

Katara and Sokka both stared at Toph sheepishly.

"I mean, come on, you two are acting like a bunch of two year olds! Grow up! Sokka, its not going to kill us to have fun for eight months, we have nothing better to do!" she took a deep breath as she finished shouting.

Everyone stared at the young girl in all manners of shock, when Momo, chirped and scampered over to Toph, resting himself on her shoulder. It was Josh who broke the silence again.

"You know, if you want, you guys could stay with me? I got the space and I could use the company," he suggested.

Aang turned and smiled at the teen.

"I think we will, so what are you doing out here anyway?"

Josh's smile dropped a bit, no one but Katara noticed, and he responded.

"I am cruising the Caribbean, is what I am doing," he said as he pulled a map out of a drawer and spread it out on the floor.

The Gang crowded around to look at it. It was a map of a body of water, the Caribbean the all guessed. Here and there islands were scattered across the body of water. Josh pointed to a particular island chain that was called the Bahamas.

"We are right here, heading toward the island of Abaco, its part of this group of islands and isles called the Bahamas. Its basically a tourist trap, as I like to call it, because the Bahamas are a major vacationing place for people from the United States and so on. If you guys are serious about coming with me, you are going to need some new clothes and bathing suits," Josh said as he looked up at his new friends.

Sokka frowned as he looked down at his clothes.

"What's wrong with what we're wearing?"

Josh sighed as he stood up and spread his arms wide, pointing at himself with his fingers.

"Sokka, look what I'm wearing," the boy looked, "Now look at what your wearing, no one dresses like that anymore, that's why," Sokka sighed as he finally gave in.

"Alright, okay! So how do we plan on getting clothes like yours, I mean certainly our money isn't worth anything here?"

Josh smiled as he walked into the cabin, leaving behind four confused teens and came back out with a grey box. Josh sat it down on the deck with a loud thump, apparently it was heavier than it looked. Josh pulled at the collar of his shirt and lifted the chair that everyone thought was a necklace from around his neck.

Hanging from the chain was a small key, which the teen used to unlock the box and replaced it back around his neck. Josh placed his hands on the box, but before he opened it, he turned to the others.

"Before I open this, I need to tell you something. This box is called a lock box, it is fire proof, water proof, and any other proof out there. The reason why is because it contains my most valuable stuff in my life. So do not ever, and I mean _ever, _steal this from me, got it?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Everyone nodded silently, even Sokka gulped at the heated look in Josh's eye.

Josh lifted the lid, exposing stacks of papers, some pictures, small booklets, some coins and what looked like rolled up green paper. Josh picked up one of the rolls and pulled the rubbed ring that held it off, He pulled one of the slips out and held it out to the others.

"This my friends is an American twenty dollar bill!" Josh said with a smile, "This is our money," he said as he handed it to Sokka.

"Are you sure this just looks like a piece of paper with a man's face on it?" said Sokka as he tried to pull it tighter.

Josh snatched the bill from his hands with a wild look in his eyes.

"Be careful with that! And yes it is money, so don't go ripping it apart!"

Sokka shrugged and smiled sheepishly.

"Okay, sorry!"

While Josh was showing the others the money, Katara pulled a picture from the lock box and stared at it. The picture was of a couple who were sitting on the beach, smiling at the person taking the picture. They wore bathing suits and strange glasses on their faces. Sitting in front of them were two young boys, one was older than the other and both wore trunks, while the older wore a tank top.

The older one also had a familiar hat on his head and Katara gasped as she realized whose family she was looking at.

'_This is Josh's family!_' she said to herself, as she looked up at the teen who was now chasing Momo the ferret around the awning because he took one of the coins from the box.

'_I wonder why he doesn't talk about them, or why aren't they here?_' Katara's train of thought was broken by laughter as Josh finally caught the white ferret and took the coin from its mouth.

'_I guess I will have to find out later,_' she said thoughtfully.

--==--

Before they arrived at Little Harbor, Abaco, Josh had given each of them a crash course on his worlds technology. The cars, planes and ships everyone was able to get down pat, but when it came to radios, Tv's and phones, Josh felt like smacking Sokka upside the head. He had them all get dressed in the clothes he had on board, which was all his and then led them off the _Shell_ and into a whole new world for them.

Cars were weaving across the roads as people went about their business. Seagulls called out as they flew over buildings and dogs barked. No one paid any attention to the small group of teen as they walked down the road toward one of the few clothing shops situated along the street. Josh pushed the door open with a jingle of the bell and they entered. He then turned to them with a serious expression on his face.

"Now here's what we're going to do. Katara and Toph, you are going to go with the salesclerk to the women's section. Try not to let her pressure you into anything too expensive. Sokka, Aang, you two come with me!" Josh said after he called over a girl about twenty over and the girls went off.

Josh was ready to kill something, after spending thirty minutes with Aang, trying to get the twelve year old to pick matching clothes. He finally had enough and left Sokka to deal with his younger companion and went to see how the girls were doing. Josh found them by the dressing rooms with a small pile of clothes.

Toph was standing outside of them wearing a yellow tank top and jean shorts. A pair of green flip flops on her feet. The girl smiled as Josh walked up.

"How's it going with Twinkletoes?" Toph asked.

Josh's expression caused her to smile and she tried to hold back a laugh. Josh sighed as he looked around the stalls.

"Where's Katara?" he asked.

Before Toph could respond the stall beside her opened and Katara stepped out. Josh felt his jaw drop as he stared at her and only one word could come to his mind to describe the girl in front of him: beautiful.

Katara was wearing a white tank top that left her stomach exposed and pair of jean shorts that went to mid thigh. On her feet she had a pair of blue flip flops. Katara blushed as Josh continued to stare at her and she cleared her throat.

"Well, how do I look?"

Before Josh could stop himself he answered, "Beautiful!"

This caused Toph to break out laughing and both older teen to blush deeply. Josh finally cleared his throat.

"Well, if you two are ready, I'll go collect the guys and we can pay for these," he said trying to hide his blush under his hat.

Both girls nodded and picked up their clothes, Josh went off and collected Sokka and Aang and paid for their purchases. They stopped at a beach wear store and they bought swimming suits. It was around lunch time when the were done, they found a café and they sat down to a meal of fish and chips, in Aang's case a salad. Katara looked around at her companions.

Sokka was dressed in a white tank top, and blue swimming trunks, Aang wore a grey t-shirt with a surfing symbol on it and orange swimming trunks. Toph wore her one-piece green bathing suit under her yellow tank top and jean shorts, while Katara herself wore her blue bikini and bottom under her clothes. Over all the gang liked the way their new clothes felt, much to Sokka's embarrassment. They started talking about different things, mostly it was Josh asking about their adventures and in return him telling them about his. The topic some how got onto the subject of families, when Katara noticed Josh seemed to stop smiling without forcing himself to. It was all fine until Sokka turned to Josh.

"So, Josh, what about your family, what are they like?" Josh looked down at his drink that he held in his hands, hiding his eyes under the brim of his hat.

"They're okay I guess…" he said in a soft voice, that for some reason made Katara's heart clench with worry.

Sokka chuckled as he ate another fry, "Just okay? Come on they can't be that bad?"

Katara felt her heart sink as she finally realized why Josh hardly spoke about his family, she had to stop this conversation.

"Sokka, I think…"

"What's so bad about your family that you can't tell us about them?" sokka said interrupting his sister.

"Sokka…"

"I don't want to talk about it," said Josh.

"Why not?" demanded Sokka with a frown.

Josh pushed his seat back as he stood up.

"Because I don't want to alright! I'll see you guys back at the _Shell_," said Josh as he walked out the door, leaving four very confused teens sitting at the table.

"Sokka!" shouted Katara.

Sokka turned toward her with a question on his face, "What? What did I say?"

Katara shook her head as she stood up from her seat.

"Your clueless! I'm going after him, I'll see you guys back at the boat!" with that Katara ran out the door after Josh.

Sokka turned to Aang and Toph, seeing that they were just as confused as he was.

"What did I say?"

**--==--**

**Cliff hanger! What is the mystery behind Josh's family? What happened to them? How did you guys like this chapter? I'm sorry if this chapter is too jumpy, at least to me it is! Please let me know what you think! Review! -Dune**


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